PRRD wants dialogue with Sison, explanation for NPA attacks

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech after leading the awarding ceremony for the 2018 Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities (PACFMC) at the Malacañan Palace. ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – Malacañang on Thursday denounced the series of attacks allegedly waged by members of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), despite the declaration of a holiday truce with government troops.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the latest NPA attacks have prompted President Rodrigo R. Duterte to demand an explanation from the communist movement.

“We condemn, of course, the violation of the ceasefire agreement. You must remember that it was them who declared a unilateral ceasefire.

And that has also been violated. Then, there has been a violation,” Panelo told Palace reporters in an interview.

“Nevertheless, we are giving them the chance to explain why it has committed such violation. And since the President has always been open, giving a little window to the pursuit of peace, he will wait for the explanation coming from them,” he added.

The holiday truce between the government forces and the communist guerillas took effect on December 23 and will end at 11:59 p.m. on January 7, 2020.

The ceasefire was implemented after Duterte and CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison separately declared their nationwide truce before the planned resumption of formal peace negotiations.

However, there have been reported attacks by suspected NPA members against soldiers and policemen in Labo, Camarines Norte; Tubungan, Iloilo; and Quezon province on the first day of the implementation of the temporary ceasefire.

A soldier was killed and six others were wounded in the attack in Camarines Norte; two cops were wounded in Iloilo; while no government troop was hurt in Quezon, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo earlier said.

Panelo said the Commander-in-Chief has already ordered the authorities to investigate the series of attacks allegedly perpetrated by NPA members.

“He (Duterte) directed the authorities to investigate the matter,” he said. “He wants to know facts kung talagang bakit nila ginawa ‘yun (why they indeed committed such crime).”

Sison’s sincerity, return to PH sought

Despite the latest developments, Duterte is still bent on achieving peace in the entire country, Panelo said.

Thus, the President urged Sison, who has been in self-exile in the Netherlands, to hold a one-on-one dialogue with him in the Philippines to discuss the proposed resumption of talks between the national government and the communist party, he added.

Panelo reassured that Sison would not face any arrest upon the communist leader’s return to Manila.

“The President is daring him (Sison) to come home to the Philippines and have a one-on-one talk with the President. No government panel involved, no panel on the communists’ side,” he said.

“The government is open to a talk with them. But even prior to the talk, the President stated that he wants Joma Sison to come over not to fear of any arrest. If he (Sison) is man enough and sincere enough, you can come over and have (a) one-on-one discussion with the President,” he added.

Duterte’s warm ties with the CPP had begun to go sour following the NPA members’ string of attacks against government troops and civilians.

The communist-initiated attacks forced Duterte on Nov. 23, 2017 to sign Proclamation 360, scrapping the national government’s peace negotiations with the CPP’s political arm, the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The President also signed Proclamation 374, branding the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization. Apart from the Philippines, the CPP-NPA has been listed as a terror group by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Panelo said the impending talks between Duterte and Sison would be separate from the planned meetings between the state peace negotiations and NDF consultants.

He, however, was not privy to the agenda of Duterte’s meeting with Sison.

“Wala naman siyang sinabi (He did not say anything),” Panelo said, when quizzed as to what would be discussed during the President’s possible meeting with Sison.

“Effective” local peace talks continue

Meanwhile, Panelo said the localized peace talks with the communist leaders would proceed, pending the resumption of peace negotiations between the national government and the NDF.

Panelo made the remarks after presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte cautioned the government against reopening talks with communist rebels.

On Monday, Sara sought Davao’s exclusion from the holiday truce, as she raised worry over the communists’ “evil character and duplicitous nature.”
Panelo agreed that the President’s daughter made a “very valid observation.”

He, however, noted that the Davao City mayor’s request was meant to continue the local peace negotiations with the communist leaders.

“Palagay ko, ang kay Mayor Sara (I think what Mayor Sara wants is) more on the localized peace talks kasi (because) I understand that the local peace talks are very effective. It has resulted in the surrender of many NPA (members). Kaya ayaw ni Mayor Sara na matigil ‘yun (That’s why Mayor Sara wants it to proceed),” he said.

Executive Order 70, signed by Duterte on Dec. 4, 2018, creates the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and directs local peace bodies to negotiate with communist insurgents in their respective areas.

Panelo noted that the President was amenable to the proposed continuation of localized peace negotiations, “in the meanwhile that there are no talks yet” between the national government and communist leaders.

“About the stand of (the) mayor of Davao, he (Duterte) said the localized peace talks can still proceed,” he said.